Big Match: Leominster Town 1 Trysull 3 in West Midlands League Division One

MANAGER Mike Symonds hailed two of his teenage stars after Leominster Town’s inexperience ultimately showed in this West Midlands League Division One defeat.

Town are second-from-bottom with just one league win this season and finished with 10 players on the pitch in Saturday’s hardfought clash at the Briarwood Stadium.

Sixteen-year-old Town midfielder Julio Mata gave a lively and energetic display before being dismissed for the first time in his career in the 87th minute after picking up two bookings.

Player-manager Symonds said: “Julio doesn’t play every week but he gives 110 per cent.

“His work-rate, effort and attitude are absolutely superb and that’s the sort of breed of young player we’ve got.

“You want someone like Julio to stay on because he can win you the game. He was already on a yellow card and you then run the risk of him being sent off.

“I was tempted to bring off Julio but he’s one of those players who can win you a game.

“You have to gamble sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t pay off.

“Hopefully, Julio will learn from that and he won’t make the same mistake again.”

Left-back Sam Thomas has hardly put a foot wrong this season but his defensive slip-up in the 59th minute allowed Mike Brookes to fire Trysull 2-1 ahead.

“We’ve got three or four excellent young players like Sam Thomas, Jake Bevan and, on his day, Josh Griffiths,” said Symonds.

“Sam has been faultless all year but today he’s gone to control the ball on the edge of the box and it’s bobbled and gone underneath his foot. The lad has then gone through one-on-one to score a crucial goal.”

Leading marksman Terry Williams hauled Town level in the 34th minute with his 12th goal of the campaign after Chris Jones had put Trysull ahead from close range.

And 28-year-old striker Williams, who lives near Newtown, almost put Town on level terms for a second time when he was sent clear by Ben Price only for his 73rd-minute effort to strike a post.

Trysull breathed a sigh of relief after Williams’ miss and Jamie Morgan wrapped up the points three minutes later when he ran into space and hit an angled drive past Andy Price, who had made some fine saves in the first-half.

Symonds said: “We scored an excellent team goal – and that’s what we are all about.

“We have to keep hoping these chances will come and we will start to put them away.

“It’s been a bit frustrating this season – we have different players in the team every week which hasn’t helped.

“We seem to put in a 50 to 60-minute performance and not a 90-minute performance that’s why we’re getting beaten at the moment.

“There’s been an opportunity for some young lads, which they’ve taken, but when you play at this level you need some senior players and I think I will have to get in one or two.”

Town showed a lot of character against Trysull, whose manager Keith Edmunds said he fully expected to take three points.

Town were the better side for a 10-minute spell leading up to the visitors’ third goal which killed off their hopes. Town travel to 14thplaced Penncroft in the league this Saturday.

“We have had one win and we’ve been on the verge of two or three others,” said Symonds.

“Hopefully, Penncroft will be another opportunity for us.

“We have some good fixtures in December so we can try to get some points and try to turn the corner.

“We have to get consistency in the team and once we get one or two wins, I think we can go on a bit of a run.

“I have enjoyed it all the way through – last year was superb and this year probably hasn’t gone to plan just yet. But, hopefully, we’ll get things moving.”